Tamperproof overcap for a valved pressure-loaded container



Dec. 3, 1968 L. OSROW 3,414,167

RESSURE-LOADED CONTAINER TAMPERPROOF OVERCAP FOR A VALVED P Filed March9, 1967 INVENTOR. LEONARD OSROW BY 44512, 20m a @4 4 ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent O 3,414,167 TAMPERPROOF OVERCAP FOR A VALVEDPRESSURE-LOADED CONTAINER Leonard Osrow, Great Neck, N.Y., assignor t0Osrow Products Company, Inc., Glen Cove, N.Y. Filed Mar. 9, 1967, Ser.No. 621,817 11 Claims. ('Cl. 222-182) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Atamperproof overcap for a conventional valved pressure-loaded containerin which the top chime of the container is caught between a shouldernear the bottom of the overcap and an interrupted inwardly extendingflange below the shoulder. The skirt of the overcap is formed with acircumferentially narrow elongated slot immediately above the chime sothat when the tip of a screwdriver or like fiat-bladed instrument isinserted into the slot and twisted, it will lift the overcap off thechime. The overcap skirt is weakened below the slot so that it willrupture when the screwdriver lifts the overcap thus leaving anindication that the cap has been detached. Despite the rupture of alower peripheral portion of the skirt the overcap can be replaced on thecontainer, but with a telltale that it has been previously removed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to a tamperproof overcap for a conventional valvedpressure-loaded container, the overcap being so constructed that it isimpossible for an average person to disengage it from the cap by handbut so that it can be readily disengaged by the use of an instru-DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Various arrangements heretofore have beenproposed to render overcaps of the character described tamperproof.However, these involved comparatively complex structures requiringcorrespondingly complex molds. In addition, some of these prior artovercaps could be manually removed so that although a visible sign oftampering remained they did not prevent surreptitious sampling of thecontents of the containers. Other prior art overcaps required the use oftools for their removal so that they effectively overcame unauthorizedsampling or use but they were awkward and difficult to lift in the firstinstance. These latter overcaps, to wit, those requiring tools forremoval, had two further drawbacks, one being that some of theseovercaps could be removed without leaving a visual sign of their removaland could be reapplied without anyone being the wiser and the secondbeing that others of the overcaps were so mutilated upon removal that itwas not practical to reuse them if the purchaser desired to do so,without providing alternate means for attaching the removed overcaps tothe container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of my invention to provide animproved overcap which avoids the foregoing difiiculties.

More specifically it is an object of my invention to provide atamper-proof overcap of the character described which is attached to thetop chime in such a fashion that simply by inserting the tip of ascrewdriver or like instru- 'ice ment into a slot in the skirt of theovercap and fractionally twisting the screwdriver, the overcap is liftedfrom the container and the overcap thereafter may be used in an ordinarymanner.

Another object of my invention is to provide an overcap of thischaracter described in which the twisting of the screwdriver fordisengagement of the overcap from the container chime mutilates aportion of the mouth of the overcap skirt. This serves two functions;the mutilation leaves a telltale sign that the overcap has been removedso that thereafter no one will purchase a container with such an overcapthinking that he has an original factory closed container. Secondly, themutilation, i.e., breaking, of only a small segment of the mouth of theovercap skirt, while leaving the remainder of the mouth of the overcapskirt intact allows the overcap to be re-engaged to the container chimewith a sufiicient tightness to hold the overcap in place whereby theovercap can be reused by the purchaser to cover the valve and top of thecontainer after a portion of the contents has been dispensed.

Another object of my invention is to provide an overcap of the characterdescribed which is of simple and sturdy construction and which may bemanufactured inexpensively by mass production methods, such, forinstance, as injection molding.

It is another object of my invention to provide an overcap of thecharacter described which has a pleasing appearance.

Another object of my invention is to provide an overcap of the characterdescribed which is rugged and reinforced at the points of stress thatare not intended to rupture and which, without unduly weakening the cap,is lightened in the zones where rupture is desired whereby topredetermine the sites at which visual indication of overcap removalwill be found.

Other objects of my invention in part will be obvious and in part willbe pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be setforth in the tamperproof overcaps hereinafter described and of which thescope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings in whichI have shown various possible embodiments of my invention,

FIG.- 1 is a perspective view of the novel tamperproof overcap tightlysecured to the top of aconventional pressure-loaded valved containerand, indicated in dot and dash lines, the tip of a screwdriver coupledto the overcap prior to twisting for disengagement of the overcap;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the lineof 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary auxiliary view directly facing thescrewdriver-admitting slot, the screwdriver tip being in section andshown twisted far enough to lift the overcap and rupture a segment ofthe overcap rim;

FIG. 5 is a highly enlarged fragmentary circumferential sectional viewof the segment of the overcap rim immediately below the slot;

FIG. 6 is an axial sectional view through a stack of two overcapsembodying my invention and such as are illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing a modified form ofovercap.

SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring now in detail to thedrawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-5, the reference numeral 10denotes a conventional pressure-loaded container consisting, as usual,of a sheet metal barrel 12 closed by a bottom wall 14 and top wall 16.The top wall is joined to the barrel by a chime 18. As is conventional,the chime forms a radially outwardly extending flange which overhangsthe top of the barrel. The domed top wall 16 is provided at its upperend with a spring closed dispensing valve 20 which, When tilted ordepressed, will permit the pressurized contents of the container to beexpelled therethrough in the form of either a lather or an aerosol. Thecontainer carries within the barrel any desirable material to bedispensed, as, for example, medicament, paint, soap, insecticide,perfume, and hair spray. Also, as is conventional, the container ischarged with a pressurized propellant which, when the valve is opened,forces the material out through the valve.

The overcap is formed from any strong, durable, flexible, resilient,plastic material which is soft enough to enable it to be coupled withthe chime. A typical such material is polyethylene. The overcap includesthe usual crown 22 which optionally is formed with a hanger bail 24. Asis conventional, the crown is of circular configuration. Depending fromthe periphery of the crown is a skirt 26. To facilitate removal from amold the skirt is downwardly and outwardly flaring. The bottom edge,i.e., mouth or rim, of the skirt is designed to be tightly affixed tothe chime 18.

For this purpose the following construction is employed. Near its openmouth the skirt is formed with an outwardly extending annular ledge 28which on the interior surface of the cap provides an annular shoulder30, said shoulder being adapted to seat upon the upper surface of thechime .18. The shoulder is of the proper diameter to nicely accept thechime without permitting radial play. The skirt below the ledgecontinues downwardly in the form of a dependent flange 32 which aids indefining the outer boundary of the shoulder 30. This flange terminatespast the chime 18 and in effect telescopically ensheathes the maximumcircumference of the chime.

As thus far described, the shoulder 30 and flange 32 simply receive thechime snugly. However, as indicated previously, the overcap is tightlysecured to the chime and for this purpose I additionally provide on theinner surface of the downwardly extending flange 32 below the chime aninwardly extending means, such, for instance, as an interrupted radiallyinwardly extending flange 34, i.e., a flange consisting of severalspaced radially inwardly extending bosses. The flange 34 is spaced belowthe shoulder 30 a distance such that the flange 34 and the shoulder '30snugly receive the chime 18 between them, whereby when the overcap isemplaced on the container 10 with the shoulder 30 above and engagedagainst the supper surface of the chime 18 and the interrupted flange 34below and engaged against the lower surface of the chime 18, the overcapwill be tightly locked in place, protecting the container, covering thedispensing valve and preventing unauthorized use of the contents of thecontainer.

To aid in application of the overcap and subsequently, as will beappreciated, in removal thereof from the container, the upper and lowersurfaces of the interrupted flange 34 are respectively sloped downwardlyand upwardly from the side flange 32. The upward slope of the lowersurface of the flange 34, by camming causes the flange 32 to spread whenthe overcap is pressed down on the chime. The overcap is suflicientlyflexible to permit this spreading action which expands the diameter ofits mouth to an extent sufficient to enable the flange 34 to pass thechime 18, after which the circumferential tension and resiliency of theflange 32 will cause said flange 32 to snap back into firm engagementwith the chime, the shoulder 30 then being above and the flange 34 belowsaid chime. I wish to mention at this point that it is not essential forthe flange. 34 to be interrupted. Alternatively, said flange can becontinuous, but of lesser height. However, the use of an interruptedflange permits me to employ a flange of greater height to as to obtain amore secure locking engagement, while at the same time enabling theflange 32 to flex between the spaced bosses constituting the flange 34,whereby to pass the chime 18 during coupling of the overcap to thecontainer without engendering a stress in the flange 32 suflicientlygreat to damage the same.

The downwardly sloped surface on the top of the interrupted flange 34serves a reverse camming function when the overcap is uncoupled from thecontainer in a manner soon to be described.

The overcap when coupled to the container is secured so tightly that aperson of ordinary strength cannot remove it from the containermanually. Thereby, a container having such an overcap can, withreasonable safety, be left on the shelves of a store without fear that acustomer may surreptitiously remove the cap for the purpose of samplingthe contents of the container, and without fear that the Storekeeperhimself may wrongfully use part of the contents of the container andthereafter replace the container in the store for sale with theimplication that the container is full. However, it is necessary topermit the overcap to be removed so that when the purchaser takes thecontainer home, he will be able to dispense material therefrom.

To this end I provide a suitable means to assist the purchaser in theremoval of the overcap. The means is such that a tool must be employedin aid thereof. It has been proposed heretofore to rely on tools forthis purpose, i.e., removal of an overcap, but customarily theapplication and manipulation of the tool was awkward or it was necessaryto substantially destroy the overcap therewith so that it could not bereused for recovering the valve and top wall of the container. However,pursuant to my present invention, a novel construction is embodied whichavoids the foregoing defects.

lMore specifically, I provide a slot 36 in the overcap which slot is ofspecial proportions and is specially located to effect the improvedresult. In particular, the slot is elongated circumferentially. Forexample, the slot is of oblong shape with its long axiscircumferentially disposed. The slot is so positioned that its long topedge is directly above the upper surface of the chime 18 when theovercap is coupled to the container. The long bottom edge of the slotmay be approximately level with the top surface of the chime or may besomewhat below the same so that the upper surface of the chime isexposed through the slot. In general, the long axis of the slot runs ina curvilinear line parallel to the chime. The upper edge of the slot, isdue to the aforementioned geometry, immediately above the ledge 28 and aslight additional distance, e.g. the thickness of the overcap, above theshoulder 30. The height of the slot is quite small, just being highenough to easily admit the thickness of the tip of an ordinaryscrewdriver blade. The length of the slot is suflicient to admit thebreadth of the tip of a typical screwdriver blade.

It will be observed that the slot is in the immediate vicinity of,indeed, in proximity to, the chime 18, essentially overlying the same,so that when a screwdriver blade has its tip inserted into the slot, theblade automatically will have its flat un-dersurface flat against andcontacting the adjacent portion of the chime and its flat uppersurfaceflat against and contacting the upper edge of the slot 36. It is notnecessary, as it is with some tool-removable overoaps, to insert a toolinto an opening in the overcap and grope, i.e., fish around with the endof the tool, in order to locate a concealed portion of the domed topwall or other part of the container in order to prepare the tool formanipulation in a fashion such as to raise the overcap.

Removing the overcap is simplicity itself. The tip of a screwdriver orlike slender, flat-bladed tool is inserted in the slot 36 and the toolis then twisted. This will cause one corner of the tool to engage thelong upper edge of the slot 36, as shown in FIG. 4, while the oppositecorner of the tool engages the chime v18. Continued application oftorque to the tool will raise the upper edge of this slot and, hence,the overcap, while the aforesaid lower corner of the tool continues tobear on the chime which serves as a stationary anvil or reaction pointfor the tool being twisted. After the tool has been twisted through asufficient arc, for example, about 45, the overcap will have been liftedfar enough to raise the interrupted flange 34 above the chime for atleast half of the circumference of the mouth of the overcap, whereuponthe overcap can be manually lifted clear of the container.

In the preferred form of my invention the circumferential slot 36 issufficiently low on the overcap so that the lower edge thereofinterrupts the ledge 28 and shoulder 30, that is to say, at the slot,the ledge and shoulder have been removed, i.e., are non-existent. Thepurpose of this arrangement is to ensure engagement of the lower cornerof the tool blade with the chime when a blade inserted in the slot istwisted.

Although my invention can be used only for the purpose of enabling anovercap to be removed from a container with the aid of a tool, the useof the aforesaid elongated slot positioned in the unique locationdescribed lends itself to other useful functions. Specifically, the saidslot can be combined with other structure so as (a) to enable theovercap to be recoupled with the container after once being lifted, therecoupling being performable by hand without the aid of the substantialforce initially needed to couple the overcap to the container at afactory, and the overcap thereafter being removable by hand at the homeof the purchaser without the need for using tools; and (b) to leave atelltale sign that the overcap has been removed, thereby discouraging aStorekeeper from wrongfully using a portion of the container for his ownpurposes and then offering the container for sale.

I accomplish the additional functions just described merely by weakeningthe side flange 32 below the slot 36 so that the portion of the flangebelow the slot will be broken during removal of the overcap by atorquing action of a flat-bladed tool in the slot. Such rupture of alocal portion of the flange 32 leaves the desired visual telltale, and,by destroying the circumferential integrity of the side flange 32,permits it to act as a split constrictive ring which can be readilyengaged to or disengaged from the top chime 18.

The weakening of the flange 32 below the slot 36 can be of a generalnature, that is to say, this portion of the flange simply may be of alesser thickness than the remainder of the circumference of the flange,or local zones of weakness may be provided. I have employed both ofthese arrangements in the illustrated overcap. The same are best shownin FIG. 5. Here, as indicated, I have formed two longitudinal zones(with respect to the container) in the shape of grooves 38, i.e., slots,which extend longitudinally of the flange 32, that is to say, in atopto-bottom direction, the grooves being located adjacent oppositebottom corners of the slot 36. Moreover, the space between the groovesis of a lesser thickness than the balance of the flange 32. However, theprovision of the locally weakened zones at the grooves 38 predeterminesthe section of the flange 32 which will be ruptured upon removal of thecap, and indeed, essentially ensures that the overcap will be rupturedat some place below the slot. This overcomes the possibility that if thegrooves were not employed, the portion of the flange 32 below the slotmight yield without breaking during the torquing action of the tool,which would mean that no visual telltale of tampering would be left andthat it would be difiicult, if this happened, for a homeowner to replacethe overcap when he desired to store the container after dispensing apart of its contents. Hence, in the preferred form of my invention,grooves or the like scored lines, i.e., locally weakened zones, areutilized below the slot. It will be readily apparent that the groovesneed not be positioned at the ends of the slot. They can be positionedanywhere along the length of the slot, and, if desired, only one groovecan be used, or more than two. The tab 40, left upon breaking the flangeat one of the slots, tends to stay in a deformed position, so that itflags the immediate attention of any user. It is a sign which it isalmost impossible to disregard.

Also, to aid in weakening the zone of the flange 32 beneath the slot 36so as to render the same more susceptible to rupture upon the torquingaction of a flatbladed tool, the depth of the flange 32 may be reducedat the aforesaid area, as by the provision of a notch 41.

It will be appreciated that it is desired to make the cap of aresilient, flexible material, such, for instance, as polyethylene, orother synthetic resin, in order to give the cap sufficient yieldabilityto be coupled with the chime in the first instance and in order to allowthe flange 32 to yield longitudinally as the tool starts to be torqued,ultimately reaching its breaking point. However, the same flexibilityand resiliency would tend to permit stretching of the upper edge of theslot during cap lifting, which is undesirable because at this area thecap has a force applied to it for the purpose of lifting and such forceis applied in a very restricted zone, to wit, at a corner of theflat-bladed tool. Hence, to counteract the yieldability of the cap atthe upper edge of the slot, I preferably reinforce this edge. This isdone by thickening the skirt of the overcap at and for some distanceabove the top edge of the slot, the same being accomplished through theformation of a raised plateau 42 on the outer surface of the capdirectly above the slot. The plateau has legs 44 depending along andcoextensive with the ends of the slot. These legs run into the ledge 28.

It was mentioned previously that the skirt 26 is upwardly tapering toprovide a draft that enables it to be readily pulled from a mold.However, the taper angle, as shown, is greater than needed for merelyfacilitating removal from a mold, the increased angle being provided inorder to enable overcaps to be stacked for storage and shipment. That isto say, the crown of any given overcap is inserted into the mouth ofanother overcap, etc., so that a number of overcaps can be assembledinto a column. However, because the draft angle is comparatively small,there is a tendency for the caps to wedge together, particularly ifcompressive forces are exerted on the column. To prevent this fromtaking place. I provide stop means on each of the overcaps, the meansbeing such as to prevent the overcaps from being too forcefullytelescoped into one another. As shown in FIGS. 16, the stop means is inthe form of exterior ribs 46. Several such ribs are provided, forexample, four on each overcap, in which event the ribs will be apart.The ribs run upwardly from the ledge 28. One of the ribs is shown asbeing partially coextensive with the plateau 42. Hence, this particularrib only extends upwardly from the plateau. The ribs are perpendiculartc the shoulder 30, being, in effect, oriented as a slant height wouldbe. The upper ends of the ribs are adapted to be abutted by theshoulders 30 when the overcaps are stacked in a column and therebydefine the maximum en try of any overcap into the mouth of the nextsuperior overcap.

It will, of course, ribs can with equal be appreciated that equivalentsto facility be located on the inside 0 each of the overcaps where theywill serve the sam function. In this event, however, and as shown in FIG7, the internal ribs will extend downwardly along th skirt from thecrown of the overcap and their lower end Will abut against the outersurface of the crown of the immediately inferior overcap in the column.

It thus will be seen that I have provided overcaps which achieve thevarious objects of my present invention and which are well adapted tomeet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a combination of an overcap of flexible plastic material and apressurized container, the container including a barrel and a top walljoined to the barrel by a radially outwardly extending chime, said topWall having a dispensing valve, the overcap including a crown and askirt, the overcap having a shoulder on the skirt engaging the uppersurface of the chime, a first flange extending downwardly from theshoulder to below the chime and a second flange below the shoulder andextending radially inwardly from the first flange, said second flangeengaging the under-surface of the chime, said overcap thereby being sotightly coupled to the chime that it cannot be removed by hand, thatimprovement comprising a circumferentially elongated slot whollycontained in the skirt immediately above the chime, the upper edge ofthe slot being located a short distance above the chime to define acircumferentially elongated space for reception of the tip of afiat-bladed instrument, such as a screwdriver, whereby when thescrewdriver is turned while in the slot a corner thereof will bearagainst the chime acting as a stationary anvil and an opposite cornerwill egnage the upper edge of the slot to lift the overcap and disengagethe overcap from the chime, the portion of the first flange beneath theslot including means constructed to rupture as the screwdriver is turnedand the overcap is lifted thereby, when the lower edge of the risingslot engages the first-named corner of the screw driver, so that avisual telltale of the overcap lifting is formed and so thatcircumferential integrity of the first flange is impaired whereby theovercap thereafter can be coupled to and disengaged from the chime byhand, said first and second flanges serving as a split constrictivering.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the portion of thefirst flange beneath the slot is weaker than the remainder of saidflange.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said portion of thefirst flange beneath the slot is formed with at least one longitudinallyextending weakened Zone running from the lower edge of the slot to thelower edge of the skirt.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said portion of thefirst flange beneath the slot is formed with two longitudinallyextending weakened zones running from the lower edge of the slot to thelower edge of the skirt.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein the weakened zones arelocated adjacent the opposite ends of the slot.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein an elongated notch isprovided in the bottom edge of the skirt in registry with the slot.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the skirt tapersupwardly towards the crown so as to permit stacking of successiveovercaps on one another, and wherein means is included to limit thetelescopic interengagement of successive overcaps.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means to limittelescopic interengagement of successive overcaps comprisesprotuberanceson the exterior of the skirt, said protuberances havingtheir upper edges spaced downwardly from the crown of the overcap andengaging the shoulder of the superior overcap in a stack of overcaps.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein themeans to limittelescopic interengagement of successive overcaps comprises verticallyextending ribs on the exterior of the overcap, said ribs having theirupper ends spaced downwardly from the crown of the overcap and saidupper ends engaging the shoulder of the superior overcaps in a stack ofovercaps.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means to limittelescopic interengagement of successive overcaps comprisesprotuberances on the interior of the skirt, said protuberances havingtheir lower edges spaced upwardly from the shoulder of the overcap andengaging the crown of the inferior overcap in a stack of overcaps.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means to limittelescopic interengagement of successive overcaps comprises ribs on theinterior of the skirt, said ribs having their lower ends spaced from theshoulder of the overcap, said lower ends engaging the crown of theinferior overcap in a stack of overcaps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 667,422 2/1901 Brooks 220-973,028,992 4/1962 Bucher et al 222182 X 3,037,672 6/1962 Gach 222l823,088,635 5/1963 Steinkarnp 222182 3,208,631 9/1965 Edwards 220-973,262,600 7/1966 Gach 222-182 3,334,769 8/1967 Gach 222182 SAMUEL F.COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

